Stephen Twigg attacks Michael Gove for pursuing profit-making schools and demands poor teachers are axed

OUT OF TOUCH: Twigg lashes out at Gove

By Dean Wilkins

‘Incompetent teachers must be removed’ from education in order to look forward for young people’s future, Labour’s shadow secretary demanded in Manchester today.

Stephen Twigg MP lashed out at Michael Gove for failing young people and the government’s decision to choose and archaic education solution by reintroducing O-Levels.

He also slammed poor teachers for not delivering their duty to students while speaking at the Labour Party’s annual conference at Manchester Central.

"We know one way to improve teaching is to make sure we don't have poor teachers in our classrooms,” he said.

"I want a teacher to have the same status as a doctor, but that must mean that incompetent teachers have to be removed."

Twigg also reiterated Ed Miliband’s ‘One Nation’ policy and criticised Gove for wanting to establish  an exclusive education system.

"Michael Gove wants narrow, elitist education but we are the party of One Nation education,” he added.

"Instead of going back to O-Levels, we will look forward.

"Instead of coming up with a plan on the back of an envelope, we will engage the experts through business and education."

The shadow cabinet member even attacked the Conservatives for turning against Gove.

"We know Michael Gove is wrong, but even Conservatives now are saying he's extreme and out of touch,” he added. "He claims to be in favour of rigour but in fact he is totally outdated.

"Rote learning, regurgitating facts, an examination system from the 1950s.

"We believe young people need both knowledge and skills. The rigour of the future, not the past."

Teachers should will also be rewarded in order to attract the highest calibre of staff to educate youngsters Twigg claimed.

"This is especially important in subjects like maths, the sciences and IT which are often harder to recruit,” he said.

"This government wants to reduce salaries for teachers in poorer areas – how ridiculous is that?

"I want to look at ideas like helping pay back your tuition fees, if you go to teach in a poorer area.

"Something for something."

He refused to allow schools to ever be run for profit but encouraged giving them greater freedom in order to increase results and standards across the country.

Twigg also claimed that Labour would put an end to decision makers in Whitehall choosing who and where new schools are set up – revealing that local authorities would be given the opportunity to intervene.

He added: "You know what Michael Gove really wants to do is introduce profit-making schools.

"Let me be crystal clear: I will never allow profit-making schools in this country."

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